The Honeymoon Is Over  —  After five days of giddiness, Democrats express dismay that their new House leader has thrown herself into the fight to become her Number 2, creating a potentially lose-lose situation where she could either be defeated in her first public contest since the election, or brand herself as a dove.

"Iraq Is Not Winnable"  —  What happens next in the Middle East?  SPIEGEL spoke to Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, to find out.  A widely respected foreign policy expert, Haass warns that the Middle East could become dangerous for years to come.

California man arrested for mail threats to celebs  —Text+WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A California man suspected of mailing threatening letters containing a suspicious white powder to celebrities and U.S. politicians has been arrested and could face federal charges on Monday, the FBI said.

The House that Rahm Built  —  Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's profane, ruthless, savvy operative, remade the Democrats in his image—and helped the party overcome 12 years of humiliation  —  Rahm Emanuel was seething.  —  He was hurtling down an asphalt road in upstate New York on the 47th trip …

Stupid party decides  —  WASHINGTON — The depleted House Republican caucus, a minority in the next Congress, convenes at 8 a.m. in the Capitol Friday on the brink of committing an act of supreme irrationality.  The House members blame their leadership for tasting the bitter dregs of defeat.

Fresh Off the Farm in Montana, a Senator-to-Be  —  "He's a small farmer from the homestead,'' a friend says of Jon Tester. "  That's absolutely who he is.  When he joins the United States Senate in January, big Jon Tester — who is just under 300 pounds in his boots …

China sub secretly stalked U.S. fleet  —  A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, The Washington Times has learned.  —  The surprise encounter highlights …

Democrats: Identify pork sponsors  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats aim to open the next Congress in January with a new rule that identifies lawmakers who use legislative "earmarks" to help special interests — a change Republicans promised but didn't implement.  —  House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi …

Bush's post-election approval hovers near lowest of presidency  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush's job approval ratings have slumped in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup poll, with the president's rating hovering near the lowest of his tenure.  —  In the poll, taken Thursday through Sunday …

How the hammer fell on his own party  —  The iron hand of Tom DeLay built a GOP empire — and may have contributed its undoing  —  WASHINGTON - The legacy of the once powerful Republican Tom DeLay of Sugar Land cast a long shadow over last week's elections, in which voters shrank the ranks …

The rise of the Mommy Party  —  Pelosi's at the helm, Hillary's in the wings and - for now - Bush is in the doghouse  —  With Democrats seizing control of the House and Senate, a debate has started over how significant their victory was.  Does it potentially mark a generational power shift?

Administration Opposes Democrats' Plan for Negotiating Medicare Drug Prices  —  The Bush administration said on Sunday that it would strenuously oppose one of the Democrats' top priorities for the new Congress: legislation authorizing the government to negotiate with drug companies to secure lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.

Midterm Election Leaves Political Landscape Blurry  —  As Both Parties Face Unresolved Questions and Internal Disputes, the 2008 Campaign Looks to Be a Crucial One  —  Rarely has an election result been delivered with such force and clarity, and still left so many unanswered questions in its wake, as that of the 2006 midterm campaign.

Olbermann taps a well of discontent as the anti-O'Reilly  —  Keith Olbermann just needed to find his voice.  He'd been a droll sportscaster, a serious news anchor and a bickering critic of Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.  But none of those personas really clicked.  —  Then he found one.